Genny Basso, a classically trained pianist, interprets some Neapolitan songs - and not necessarily the most famous ones - in an unusual way, infusing them with stylistic elements that hark back to composers of "high culture", but never with the intention of sounding ingratiating or irreverent, or of confronting the listener with a self-congratulatory exercise. What at first glance may appear to be a game of musical camouflage turns out to be the culmination of an interpretation constructed with the performer's consciousness, detecting and at times inducing allusions and references. The resulting, quite surprising interweavings are made credible by an affinity for writing and by it's emotional atmosphere. It's hard to say exactly when the idea for this album was born, says Genny Basso. "Maybe I always had a project like this in mind. As a child, I was enchanted when I listened to my mum play Piscatore 'e Pusilleco on the piano. It was the beginning of a musical passion that never left me and that I continued to cultivate along with my classical training; I looked for informal situations where it was welcome. At some point, however, I realised that so much interest on my part in the Neapolitan tradition deserved a larger and more exclusive space. And that's how my first adaptations came about, those of Era de Maggio and Carmela... and the rest is history."

Following his recent heroic Met debut as Hermann in Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades, Arsen Soghomonyan makes his solo recording debut for Delos. A fast-rising figure in the dramatic repertoire, the Armenian tenor has enjoyed success at major opera houses such as Bayerische Staatsoper, Teatro di San Carlo, Bolshoi Theatre and Staatsoper Wien. In his album Bridges of Voice and Soul, Arsen lends his powerful voice to some of the greatest Italian arias; "Nessun dorma" and "E lucevan le stelle" by Puccini, Verdi's "Niun mi tema" and "Vesti la giubba" by Leoncavallo are some of the delights that comprise this operatic feast, enlivened by the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra and conductor Constantine Orbelian.

2020 release. "This is a dream come true. It's the new aspect of my career - maybe even my new face as a singer. I'm saying goodbye to most of the lighter repertoire I've done for 20 years. When I started singing, it was indeed my dream to do this sort of repertoire, but I really did think of it as a dream and I never thought I would actually sing such an incredibly beautiful role as Elisabetta on stage. When I think of the arias on this album, I felt in the past that I would never sing them. I was taught that I'm a coloratura soprano, and that doing characters such as the Queen of the Night ruled others out. But I've been in love with these arias since I first heard opera, and it's very touching for me that I'm now allowed to sing this music." (Aleksandra Kurzak)